The Dating Game
by MystiKoorime
Summary: "The dating game is a dangerous one, Hiei. Hearts are fragile; they break at the slightest malevolent touch. You shouldn't play with love so foolishly," Kurama warned him. But this had nothing to do with love. Or so he thought. In which Hiei agrees to the conditions of a bet but ends up getting more than he bargained for. Hiei/Botan
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys, I'm back! I know I've been MIA, but life has taken over. I landed a full-time job and I'm slowly settling into the next phase of life after college. I originally intended to fully complete this story and then start publishing it, but with the way life has been going, it seemed as though I'd never get a chance to finish. So, instead, I decided I'll post the prologue to see how you guys like it and try my best to continue updating whenever I can.

_I don't own YYH!_

Prologue

* * *

"This stupid mission couldn't have come at a worse time," Yusuke grumbled, strolling inside of Koenma's office with a frown.

"It's a bit too late for complaining, Yusuke. Seeing as we already completed the mission and retrieved the mirror of illusion," Kurama noted, his emerald eyes shifting over to the artifact.

"Well that's half the problem," Yusuke replied, juggling the mirror between his hands haphazardly. "Now that the Spirit World crisis is over, I have to deal with the earthly ones."

"What do you mean, Urameshi?" Kuwabara piped in curiously.

Yusuke set the mirror of illusion on Koenma's desk and then turned back to the others.

"Girl troubles," he revealed.

"I had plans with Keiko today, but because pacifier-breath couldn't keep track of his toys, I had to cancel," Yusuke revealed. "Don't get me wrong, I'd take demons over chick flicks any day, but this is like the third time I bailed on her, so I know I won't hear the end of it."

Kuwabara grimaced.

"That's rough."

"You'd think by now she'd understand, but no, saving the world isn't a good enough excuse anymore," Yusuke said with a heavy sigh. "I just can't figure her out sometimes."

"Women are complicated," Kuwabara concluded. "I don't think I'll ever understand them."

"Damn straight," Yusuke grumbled.

Kurama silently agreed with a nod of his head and Yusuke and Kuwabara exchanged wide-eyed glances.

"No way!" Yusuke exclaimed, his expression perking up slightly. "The heart-throb of Meiou High's having girl problems, too?"

"You can say that. The girls at school are becoming increasingly more aggressive with their advances," Kurama revealed. "The more I ignore them, the harder they try."

"Girls throwing themselves at your feet, that must be exhausting," Yusuke mocked.

"Don't knock it, Urameshi. With more girls, comes more problems," Kuwabara said sagely.

"I guess that's true," Yusuke said, before looking over at Hiei. The fire demon had been suspiciously quiet during the whole conversation, not even opening his mouth to spit a single insult. "What about you, little buddy? You got anything to say on the matter?"

"I find your inability to deter human women pathetic and embarrassing," Hiei said simply.

Without so much as a warning, he turned his back to the others, obviously not interested in the sudden turn in conversation.

"Leaving so soon?" Yusuke asked teasingly. "And here I thought we were having a moment."

"The mission is over. My presence here isn't needed and I no longer wish to hear you complain about your petty problems."

"You always act so superior, but I bet you have the most trouble with women. Hell, you probably can't even last one date," Kuwabara accused.

"Date?" Hiei echoed, the word slipping off of his tongue with a hint of distaste.

"Movies, dinners, long walks on the beach?" Kuwabara tried.

Hiei crossed his arms.

"I don't follow."

"Let me put it in less girly terms," Yusuke began. "All a date is, is a precursor to sex. You spend some meaningless time together and then –"

"Don't mind him," Kurama cut in. "A date is what two people who are attracted to each other engage in. It can be anything, really, so long as both parties are enjoying themselves."

"Hn. Sounds like the type of activity someone with low intellect would partake in," Hiei scoffed.

"Let me tell you, Hiei, it takes someone with a lot of inner strength and intellect to get through a date successfully," Yusuke insisted.

"Ridiculous," Hiei muttered.

"Yusuke is right. It might sound superficial on the surface, but it does take a great deal of effort and thought," Kurama defended.

"You've obviously gone soft during your time here, Kurama," Hiei said with disdain.

"You talk a big game, shorty," Kuwabara said. "Why don't you put your money where your mouth is?"

Yusuke's expression brightened and Kurama frowned.

"I like where you're going with this, Kuwabara. Hey, Hiei," Yusuke said, turning towards the shorter male. "What do you say we raise the stakes and make things a little more interesting?"

"Yusuke, don't get carried away," Kurama advised. "Hiei doesn't even have any human currency."

"Relax, it's just a harmless bet between friends; I'm sure we can think of some other alternative instead of money," Yusuke replied, waving him off. "So what do you say, Hiei? Care to prove us wrong?"

"I have nothing to prove to you fools," Hiei replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Sounds to me like the wielder of the darkness flame is scared of a little date!" Yusuke taunted.

Hiei glared.

"Aw, is the little fire-demon afraid of girls?" Kuwabara teased. "Does he still think they have cooties?"

"Don't listen to them," Kurama advised. "This bet of theirs isn't a good idea."

The fox was right, it wasn't a good idea.

This game of theirs could twist and turn into something horribly wrong.

But the wheels in his head were starting to turn, and the various taunts from the detective and the psychic had become nothing but a low – albeit _annoying_ – hum as an idea sprang to life in the furthest corners of his mind.

It was a terrible idea, they all knew it.

And that's why the words that came out of Hiei's mouth surprised everyone in the room.

"I accept."

All eyes went wide.

"What?" Kuwabara and Yusuke bellowed in unison.

"I said, I accept," he repeated evenly.

"You can't be serious," Kurama said, eyeing his old friend suspiciously. Although the fire-demon was ill-tempered and never backed down from a challenge, accepting a gamble of this nature was beneath him. He would never agree to a bet unless he knew he could win and the outcome benefited him greatly, and right now, Kurama wasn't sure either of those circumstances could be met.

"I am completely serious," Hiei said, his tone full of conviction.

"I don't know what you have planned, Hiei, but I can assure you—"

"This doesn't concern you Kurama," Hiei gritted, turning his attentions towards the two humans. "Now, name your conditions."

Yusuke and Kuwabara looked between their demon companions nervously, before turning to each other and nodding. Kuwabara cleared his throat and took a step forward.

"We get to pick a girl and you have to romance her for…" he trailed off, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Two weeks," Yusuke decided.

"Right. Two weeks sounds like enough time," Kuwabara agreed. "If she breaks it off or suggests that you "see other people" before your two weeks are up, then you lose."

"Pitifully simple," Hiei smirked.

"And you gotta go all the way," Kuwabara insisted.

Hiei raised a brow.

"Kuwabara you dog!" Yusuke exclaimed with a lecherous grin.

The psychic immediately shook his head and shot the detective a dirty look.

"I mean, you gotta take this seriously. You really have to romance her. Buy her gifts, give her compliments… that sort of thing."

"Fine," Hiei agreed. "And now that the conditions are made known, the only matter left to discuss is the reward."

Yusuke and Kuwabara looked at one another nervously, before Yusuke stepped forward.

"If you win, you get the most fulfilling reward of all: the sweet satisfaction of knowing that you are superior to us," Yusuke quipped.

"No," Hiei said sternly.

"No?" the spirit detective echoed, confused.

"No. You will convince that idiot Prince to lessen my probation. He won't listen to Kurama and I because we are ex-convicts, but he will listen to your judgment, detective."

Yusuke was silent for a moment, his mouth pressed into a firm line as he mulled the idea over in his head before nodding.

"Deal," he agreed. "Now, what do we get if we win the bet?"

Hiei smirked.

"The satisfaction of knowing that you are superior to me," he recited.

Yusuke's eyes narrowed.

"I see what you did there, Hiei, but it's alright. Just the thought of you going on a date is a reward in and of itself. Man, I can't wait to see you stumbling over your own two feet and choking on your words."

"Don't hold your breath, detective," Hiei replied. "No one will ever have power over me the way that human women do over you."

"Oh, yeah, we still have to pick the unlucky lady!" Kuwabara noted.

"If we're gonna be fair here, then she's gotta at least be aware about demons and spirit world," Yusuke offered.

"But in keeping with the spirit of the bet, she's gotta be a challenge, too. Someone who will really get under his skin," Kuwabara reasoned.

"The total opposite of Hiei's doom and gloom persona," Yusuke suggested with a laugh.

At that instant, Koenma entered his office, with George and Botan trailing behind dutifully.

"Hello boys, I take it the mission went well?" she greeted warmly.

Kurama's eyes widened in realization.

Kuwabara grinned.

Hiei cursed.

Yusuke busted out laughing.

"Oh, this is too perfect!"

* * *

I hope you guys like it so far. I'm kind of apprehensive about this story since I haven't done any writing in a while and the plot for this story will force Hiei to do things differently than he normally would. In the next chapter you'll get to see Hiei's reasoning behind accepting the bet and what drove him to this point, so hopefully he won't seem OOC.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling now. Thanks for reading and please drop a review to let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Has MystiKoorime really updated within two weeks? Why yes, faithful reader, she really has! Haha, enjoy the newest chapter my lovelies!

Btw, Hinageshi is a character from one of the movies. I always assumed she's Botan's apprentice or ferry-girl in training because she says something about always making mistakes and causing problems for Botan. She wears a miko outfit instead of the traditional pink kimono that Botan's always donned in, so I assume she's still learning the ins and outs of being a ferry-girl.

_I don't own YYH!_

Chapter 2

* * *

Yusuke busted out laughing.

"Oh this is just too perfect!"

"What is?" Botan asked as her amethyst eyes traveled from Yusuke to the rest of the group. Their gazes were all on her and she suddenly became nervous under their scrutiny. "Well?"

"Do tell, we love to hear a good joke, don't we Lord Koenma," George encouraged.

"There's no time for that!" Koenma snapped at the ogre before turning back to the team. "Where is the mirror of illusions?"

"Keep your diapers on, it's right over there," Yusuke informed, cocking a thumb over his shoulder and in the direction of Koenma's desk. "Safe and sound just like it was before you lost it."

The Prince's shoulders sagged in relief as he reclaimed the mirror with great care. He examined it for a moment, searching for any scratches or defects before letting out a pleased sigh.

"Another mission well done," he praised. "Now, I've got to get this back into the vault before Dad notices."

Koenma hurried out of the room and George scurried behind him after nodding to the group and saying goodbye.

"You boys sure handled that situation quickly and it's a good thing you did," Botan said good-naturedly. "Koenma would have gotten at least five hundred spankings from Lord Enma if he ever found out!"

Normally Yusuke or Kuwabara would have laughed at that comment but they were too preoccupied with whispering among themselves and shooting her quick and secretive looks. It was quite unnerving and so, she turned to the more mature members of the group, only to find that the demons had their attention on her as well.

"Alright, why are you all staring at me like that?" Botan asked finally, her hands on her hips as she frowned. "Is there something on my face?"

"You look fine, Botan. So fine, in fact, that Hiei here has something he wants to say to you," Yusuke said, putting his hands on her shoulders and guiding her over to Hiei.

Hiei glowered fiercely at the detective while Yusuke merely grinned.

"Something to say to me?" Botan echoed, her eyes widening as she pointed a finger at herself.

"Yeah, we'll leave you two alone. Privacy and all," Kuwabara said hurriedly.

Yusuke and Kuwabara gave Kurama a pointed look and Kurama sighed.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Hiei," Kurama warned, before trailing after the two humans and leaving Hiei and Botan alone.

* * *

"Do you think hamster legs will actually go through with it?" Kuwabara asked, once they were in the hallway and out of hearing range.

Yusuke ran a hand through his gelled hair. "I don't know, once he realized he'd have to tolerate Botan for a couple of dates, he seemed to lose his cool."

"I was really surprised that he even went along with it in the first place, but maybe we pushed our luck with that last move," Kuwabara admitted, his charcoal eyes narrowing.

"No, you're wrong."

Two pairs of eyes landed on Kurama and he continued.

"Hiei isn't the type to agree to something and then break his word. He will see this through."

"Awesome!" Yusuke exclaimed as he high-fived Kuwabara.

"This isn't a cause for celebration. You underestimate the lengths he will go to gain his freedom."

"That's exactly why this is so entertaining! The fact that Hiei even agreed to this bet means he's hit rock bottom. Come on, Kurama, admit it, even you find some gratification in seeing the little guy squirm," Yusuke insisted.

"I know I do!" Kuwabara inserted smugly.

Kurama frowned and Yusuke took a step forward.

"Relax Kurama, what's the harm?"

"You two don't think about the consequences and that's precisely where all the harm comes from. I realize life might seem lackluster upon arriving back from the Dark Tournament, but manipulating an innocent woman for the sake of easing your boredom isn't wise."

"Innocent?" Yusuke snorted. "Botan's hardly innocent. Besides I bet she'll drive Hiei crazy and this will all be over with before it even began."

"Yeah, Urameshi is probably right," Kuwabara assured. "I mean, can you really see the two of them lasting a whole two weeks?"

Kurama nodded. "I can see the two of them lasting that long. My concern is for Botan and the affect all of this will have on her when this is over."

Yusuke's gaze became critical as his brown eyes narrowed and brows furrowed. "Hm, well this complicates things."

"It seems you finally understand," Kurama noted with a serious expression.

"…You know, I never noticed it before but it makes sense now. I mean, we all do work together an awful lot and things like this happen. It's nothing to be ashamed of Kurama."

Kurama's raised a brow while Yusuke continued to mutter to himself and nod knowingly.

"Uh, do you know what Urameshi is rambling on about?" Kuwabara asked.

"Not in the slightest," Kurama deadpanned.

"It's so obvious!" Yusuke exclaimed. "The real reason you don't want Hiei to date Botan is because you've got a personal interest in one of them."

Kuwabara's eyes widened in realization, the color drained from his face as he turned to look over at Kurama. "Y-you mean, Kurama's got the hots for Hiei?"

"No you moron, I was referring to Botan," Yusuke clarified.

"Oh," Kuwabara said, before laughing nervously and looking back at Kurama. "Not that there's anything wrong if you do like Hiei. I was just –"

"It's not what you think. I have no romantic feelings towards any of them, but as a friend, what you are encouraging Hiei to do to Botan is wrong."

Yusuke let out a sigh of relief. "Good, 'cause things would have gotten extremely awkward over the next two weeks if you were secretly harboring feelings for Botan."

Kurama shook his head, realizing that the detective had missed his point completely. If they didn't want to listen to reason, then he wouldn't press the issue any further.

"In any case, the mission is over and I'd like to go home now. If you two will excuse me," Kurama said, before stepping away from the duo.

Yusuke and Kuwabara watched as he rounded the corner and was out of sight.

"Anyway, say shorty really does get through two weeks. How are you going to convince Koenma to cut his sentence?" Kuwabara inquired.

"Beats me," Yusuke said with a wide grin. "I haven't thought it through that far."

"Well, I guess there's no need to stress over it now. It's not like Hiei even knows anything about dating. He'll probably take Botan on a stroll in a dark, creepy alley and that will be the end of that," Kuwabara concluded.

* * *

Hiei didn't know the first thing about dating. He was born the Forbidden Child, destined to live a life of solitude and desolation. The only time he had ever been with others was when he was born on the island with the ice maidens and when he lived with bandits for a while. But the ice maidens wanted him dead and the bandits only wanted his hiruiseki.

After breaking off from them, he lived a single-minded life.

First he thirsted for combat – fighting for the sake of fighting and testing his limits.

Then he accidentally lost his hiruiseki and his sole driving force was reclaiming it.

Upon learning he had a sister, he had devoted most of his time to finding her.

His quest led him to the human world where he met Kurama and then later the detective and his life spiraled into what it was today.

Now, the thing driving him the most was his desire to return home. Both the human realm and the spirit realm were full of weaklings. They opposed violence and loved peace, passivity, and diplomacy. They were all weaklings with little to no morals or strength, who harped on trivial and inconsequential matters and he was even lower than them because he was being forced to undertake missions as Spirit World's subservient minion.

With a sentence over his head and a full list of crimes under his belt, the only way to break free was on good behavior. So, he aided the detective in missions. He even participated in the Dark Tournament. But enough was enough. He was at his limit and he needed a quick out. Koenma seemed oddly trusting of Yusuke, and despite the detective's many shortcomings, Hiei fully understood why. If anyone could persuade Koenma to release Hiei from his punishment, it was Yusuke.

So, when the others started rambling about their problems with the opposite gender, Hiei had mostly tuned their useless drabble out. And when the detective and the oaf had suggested that Hiei couldn't last in their foolish rituals, he immediately shot them down.

But as they taunted and teased him an unsettling idea wormed its way into his head.

"_Hiei doesn't even have any human currency."_

"_Relax, it's just a harmless bet between friends; I'm sure we can think of some other alternative instead of money," Yusuke replied._

Another alternative.

And he knew exactly what that alternative would be.

In exchange for humoring the humans, he would gain his freedom. One last demoralizing task and he would be free. It was risky and uncertain, but it was all that he had at this point. There was nothing in this world for him and he would be damned if he waited out the rest of his sentence like an obedient little lapdog. It was time he took matters into his own hands, and if that meant he had to fulfill one last humiliating chore, then he would do it.

But as he stood in front of Botan, all alone in Koenma's office, he was seriously starting to rethink his earlier position.

"Hiei? Are you alright? You weren't hurt during the mission, were you? You seem kind of out of it…"

He was brought back into reality and he forced himself not to snap at the woman before him as she invaded his space to check for any signs of injury.

"I'm fine," he said, taking a step back so that they were once again at a comfortable distance from each other.

"If you say so…" Botan relented with a nod. "Anyway, there was something you wanted to say?"

"Yes," he answered curtly.

"…Well?" Botan urged him to continue, her interest piqued.

Hiei's lips parted, but no sound came out. If he did this, there would be no turning back. He would be engaging in the most depraved activity that he could ever imagine. But if he didn't do this, he would be stuck in this world for a very sentence.

Hiei extended his arm and pointed a finger at her, before barking out bluntly. "Go on a date with me, woman."

Botan's eyes widened and she stared at the fire-demon wordlessly.

It seemed as though he had shocked her into silence and Hiei crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for her to respond. _ 'Hn. Of all times for the blabbermouth to go speechless.'_

They stayed that way for a while, until Botan blinked. Her brow creased and her mouth began to form words.

"What… why… um," she paused and swallowed nervously. "D-do you even know what a date is, Hiei?"

"I am well aware of what a date is and what it entails," he answered evenly.

"And you want to go on one with me?"

"You are the one who convinced Koenma to let Yukina stay here after the Dark Tournament, are you not?"

The words were slipping out of his mouth before he had a chance to filter them. The Yukina card was the most plausible one he had and he felt a little guilty for using his sister this way, but he had no choice.

"You intend on repaying me for that with a date? Oh, Hiei, that's really unnecessary! I did it because Yukina is a dear friend. I don't need anything in return except for her happiness."

"I don't like being indebted to someone," Hiei insisted.

Botan seemed to mull the idea over, her amethyst eyes hesitantly wandering over to him on more than one occasion before nodding her head.

"Alright, I'll agree to go," Botan began.

Hiei smirked. This was pitifully simple.

"On one condition," she continued.

His smirk dropped. "What is it?"

"I'll go on this date with you, if you say my name."

"What?" he barked.

"That's my condition, Hiei. What kind of woman would I be if I decided to go on a date with a man couldn't even bother to remember my name?" Botan teased.

So she wasn't as dumb as she looked. She knew damn well that he couldn't be bothered with something as trivial as her name.

"You're still here, Hiei?" Koenma interrupted as he re-entered his office. "The mission is over, you're free to leave."

Hiei didn't even glance at the Prince as he wracked his brain, trying to remember if anyone had said the ferry-girl's name earlier.

"And what are you doing in here, Botan? Don't you have reports to fill out?"

"Lord Koenma!" she shrieked.

"Botan?" the Prince echoed.

Her eyes widened as she looked over to Hiei, noting the way the corner of his mouth upturned into that familiar and sinister smirk.

"I intend to repay my debt to you tonight, _Botan_," Hiei pronounced.

The way he said it sent shivers down her spine and left her feeling uneasy.

"Wait that's not fair, you cheated!" Botan cried, taking a step forward to stop him.

But Hiei had already vanished and she was left staring at the empty walls.

* * *

Botan was left standing in Koenma's office with a confused and dazed expression. Her lips were parted and quiet mutters of disbelief spilled out.

"Botan… Spirit World to Botan!"

"Huh, what is it?"

"That's exactly what I'd like to know. You've been standing here like a statue for the past five minutes."

Botan laughed nervously. "Have I really?"

Koenma nodded, before taking a step closer concernedly. "Did Hiei threaten you again?"

Botan shook her head quickly. "No, it was the complete opposite, actually."

A blush adorned her face and Koenma raised a brow.

"Well?" he urged her to continue.

"You see, sir, Hiei asked me… well, he asked me out!"

"Out? Out to where?"

"On a date," she finished. "Or at least, I think he did."

Koenma stared at her for a moment before erupting into a fit of laughter.

Botan frowned. "I fail to see the humor in any of this."

His laughter dissipated enough for him to speak. "It's ridiculous! You and Hiei, on a … on a … date?"

"It isn't funny!" Botan exclaimed loudly. "I'm being completely serious!"

"Why in the three worlds would Hiei ask _you_ out?"

Botan glared.

"I'm not so bad, you know. I help out on missions, I can hold a proper conversation, and I'm good company. Besides, he said he was indebted to me for helping Yukina find a place to stay in the human world."

But Koenma wasn't listening and his laughter hadn't ceased.

"And why in the three worlds would you ever say yes?"

"I didn't exactly say yes! I gave him an ultimatum but you walked in and ruined my perfectly good plans!"

By now Koenma was doubled over in stitches and it was only then that Botan realized that he hadn't really been expecting her to answer.

She stormed out of his office – or at least tried to as best as she could in her form-fitting kimono and geta sandals – intent on proving him wrong by going on the date and enjoying it.

* * *

It could have been worse, Hiei thought to himself. At least Botan knew all about the three worlds. And she knew him; she knew exactly the kind of man he was. She probably wouldn't expect much.

She wasn't a human, either, and that was a plus.

But she was a being from Spirit World and that was a definite minus.

Hiei sighed.

Then again, she was loud – he had witnessed her outbursts of varying emotions towards Yusuke and Kuwabara on many occasions.

She was dense and thoughtless – he remembered the many times she had slipped and almost spilled his secret to Yukina.

She was overly emotional and sensitive – he recalled the way she grieved over Genkai's death, despite being a ferry-girl.

She was cheerfully optimistic – he wasn't around her much, but from what he could remember she was always the brightest and happiest of the bunch. It infuriated him to no end. What the hell did she have to smile about all the time, anyway?

Perhaps she would be too much to handle.

He jumped through Kurama's opened window, landing on the floor softly.

"Hiei, I was wondering when you would stop by."

Of course Kurama knew that Hiei would come to him. Kurama knew everything and that's precisely why Hiei left Spirit World to seek answers from the fox.

"Hn, so you already know why I'm here."

Kurama nodded.

"You don't know the first thing about human customs and you would never ask Yusuke or Kuwabara. I am the only source you've got, but I'm afraid I won't be of any assistance for this particular endeavor."

"You're passing up a chance to meddle in someone else's affairs? That's a first."

"It's because I don't approve of what you plan on doing with Botan."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, fox. I won't cross any lines."

"I know that, Hiei. While that would be despicable and unforgivable, what you plan on doing is still wrong."

"Your emotional detachment is one of the reasons why I chose you as a partner back then, so why is it that you care so much for an insignificant ferry-girl?" Hiei questioned, his gaze intense as he examined Kurama. "Do you want her for yourself?"

Kurama chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. "Why does everyone think that?"

"Why else would you be so insistent on defending her?"

"She's a friend, Hiei," Kurama explained simply. "That's all there is to it."

"Hn."

"Is it so unreasonable for you to bide your time here until your sentence is served?"

"You've been here so long that you've conformed to this world's idealistic customs and beliefs. You may have forgotten all about your real home and where your loyalties lie, but I have not," Hiei spat.

"You don't have to love this world, Hiei but the sooner you realize it isn't as bad as you make it out to be, the easier it will be to stay here for a while."

"There is nothing here for me and we both know that," Hiei confessed, his voice low.

He spared one glance back at Kurama before exiting the room the same way he entered.

Hiei sped through the area, whizzing past houses, street lamps, buildings, shops, cars, and people until he reached the park. It was the only place he could go to for solitude in the lively city. Of course, the outskirts of the park were littered with people - but that didn't concern him. If he ventured deep enough, he would find the area desolated and quiet area that he usually inhabited - the only place he could tolerate in this wretched world.

But his speed slowed down and he came to a full stop as he observed something he hadn't quite noticed before. Tonight, just as every night, the park was bustling with life. He had never cared to pay attention to the type of inhabitants roaming around but tonight something stood out.

It wasn't _just_ humans who loitered around the area making unnecessary noise.

It wasn't _just_ humans who were scattered around the perimeter, sitting in benches, strolling along the path, or just laying in the grass and looking up at stars.

It wasn't _just_ humans who were laughing, holding hands, and talking amongst themselves.

No, not just humans – they were all _couples_.

Couples of various shapes, sizes, ages, and intensity of infatuation – but couples nonetheless.

Kurama's earlier words resounded in his head: _"A date is what two people who are attracted to each other engage in. It can be anything, really, so long as both parties are enjoying themselves."_

These humans certainly weren't doing much of anything but they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Hiei had just found the answer to his problem.

This method required no money, no preparation, and no thinking. He would take Botan to the park and let her babble on about her day. The woman had a penchant for talking and he would simply have to tune her out and pretend like he had been listening the whole time. It would be excruciating, but it could have been worse.

* * *

Botan lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She had finished her work and her thoughts kept straying back to Hiei.

Botan was still a bit miffed that he figured out her name and inadvertently got her to agree to the date. It's not like she had anything against Hiei in particular – but she could never completely tell what he was thinking.

He was dangerously powerful and unpredictable. He was every bit as volatile as the fire he commanded and she would be lying if she said she wasn't still a little bit afraid of him.

But despite all of that, she had learned that there were untapped dimensions in the most shallow of souls. Hiei had shown many sides of himself over the time she had known him: the villain, the ally, the warrior, the brother, and even the friend.

She would give him the benefit of the doubt and treat him as she would treat the others. This could be a great way to get to know each other. It didn't have to be a romantic date; it could be a friendly outing.

Still, the question left unanswered - why would he want to go on a date with her?

Perhaps he just wanted to get her alone, in a secluded area where he could finally make good on all those horrible death-threats!

She shivered and shook her head. Hiei wouldn't do that - she hoped.

He did say the date was payment for helping Yukina out and maybe it was just as simple as that.

Although, he probably didn't realize that a date was something intended to be romantic. She bet that Yusuke or Kuwabara tricked him into thinking that it was just something two people did platonically.

If that was the case, she supposed she could go on the date and at least try to have fun. It wouldn't kill her to spend one night with Hiei.

"Botan, is it true?" Hinageshi asked, bursting into the older woman's room without a care.

Botan sat up from her bed.

"Is what true?"

"Is it true that you're going on a date with a demon?"

"Where did you-"

"-The former criminal?"

"He's our ally now, it's not like he's still going around committing crimes-"

"-The same guy who tamed the Dragon of the Darkness Flame?"

"Yes, he managed that impressive feat at the Dark Tournament."

"-The really moody and dangerous one?"

"Well, he can be quite moody and dangerous-"

"Way to go, girl! You hit the jackpot!"

Botan's eyes widened as Hinageshi threw her hand in the air, awaiting Botan's move.

The ferry-girl clapped her hand against her exuberant apprentice hesitantly before admitting, "I'm afraid I don't follow."

Hinageshi sighed dreamily, clasping her hands together as she spoke. "It's every girl's dream to nab the bad boy and you've got the baddest of them all! The dark and mysterious guy who turns out to have a heart of gold; the dangerous man who slowly changes because of love!"

Botan stared at her with an amused smile. "That sounds like one of those horrible stories from the human world that I catch you reading all the time."

"Don't you just love 'em?" Hinageshi gushed as she settled down in Botan's bed and hugged a pillow to her chest.

"Sure, they're nice to read, but this is real life. Hiei certainly isn't a handsome dark prince and I'm not the type of girl that strong and silent men like him go for."

"You don't think he's handsome?" Hinageshi asked. "Cause I've seen him around this place a few times, and I've gotta say he's pretty hot!"

"Of course he's good looking - anyone can see that. What I meant to say was that he doesn't have the same charming persona as the male leads you're always reading about."

"So why did you agree to the date, then?" the redhead questioned.

"I didn't actually – wait a minute, how do you even know about all of this in the first place?"

"I heard two bozos from the Spirit Defense Force talking about it. Supposedly they overheard it from an ogre, who heard it from a ferry-girl... you know how news travels around here," Hinageshi revealed with a lazy wave of her hand.

"This is awful! I didn't want the whole world to know!" Botan exclaimed, mortified.

"Who cares what those old bats think. They're just jealous that they're past their prime and nobody, not even the ogres, will look at them."

"I haven't exactly figured out how I feel about all of this and now everyone else is going to jump to conclusions!"

"Well, you like him don't you?"

"As a friend, I suppose. But up until today I didn't even think he bothered to remember me half the time."

Hinageshi squealed. "This just keeps getting better and better!"

"Would you stop that?"

"Stop what?"

"Romanticizing and fantasizing," Botan supplied exasperatedly. "Tonight is just going to be a nice night out between two friends. Nothing more, nothing less, so get your head out of the clouds and into the books."

"But I've been studying and practicing all day!" Hinageshi whined.

"Alright if you can answer this one question then you're off the hook for tonight," Botan said slyly.

"Ask away," Hinageshi urged confidently.

"What restrictions are listed in Section Four, Paragraph Five of the Ferry Girl's Hand Book?"

"Don't mix business with pleasure?" Hinageshi answered cheekily. "No wait, maybe it was: no sleeping with the former enemy?"

"Oh shut up!"

Hinageshi laughed as she hopped off of Botan's bed and sauntered over to the door.

"I expect full details tomorrow!"

Botan nodded, noting to herself that there probably won't be much to tell in the first place as Hinageshi shut the door.

She was just about to get comfortable again when a voice interrupted her.

"_Woman, I will come for you soon. Be ready."_

Botan nearly fell out of her bed.

"Hiei?" she called out, looking around her room for any signs of the fire-demon before realizing that he was using telepathy.

"_What?"_

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's improper to pry into a lady's thoughts?"

"_Hn. I wasn't prying."_

"Just… stop it! I'll be ready soon!"

The connection ended and Botan let out a sigh. She wasn't sure what the night would bring about, but she could only hope that it wouldn't end with Hiei's sword pointed in her direction.

* * *

That's all for now!

I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who reviewed, added the story to their alerts, or added it to their favorites already. It feels like the H/B lovers have dwindled in numbers, but to the ones who are left: you're the best! Thank you for your continual support. Don't forget to drop a review and let me know what you thought about this chapter as well.

Next up is the first date. I hope you look forward to it!


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